Creating a Sustainability Action Plan that works!
A Sustainability Action Plan is your firm’s unique strategy for prioritizing and meeting sustainability goals. This guide shows you how.
A guide to creating a SAP that’s unique to your firm
For most companies, setting sustainability goals means reevaluating priorities, workflows, and strategies to better align with—and eventually achieve—those goals. As part of the AIA 2030 Commitment and AIA Materials Pledge, signatories are asked to create a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) within six months of joining the program. The goal is to think through how your sustainability values and aspirations can translate into a comprehensive strategy that transforms your company’s entire portfolio.
These guides were created to help you develop—and ultimately implement—an SAP, MAP, or combined plan, regardless of whether your firm is new to sustainability concepts or has decades of experience. While this document provides inspiration, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The best SAP is one that reflects and constantly evolves with your company’s goals and needs.
This document includes:
- Key principles for effective change management at your firm and suggested elements to consider for your Sustainability Action Plan
- Excerpts from other AIA 2030 Commitment and AIA Materials Pledge signatory Sustainability Action Plans
- Resources and worksheets that help you set goals and align with other programs, such as the AIA Framework for Design Excellence
- NEW! A small firm addendum that encourages first steps and provides quick tips for firms that want to get started
- NEW! A companion resource—Creating a Materials Action Plan that works—that supports firm goal setting and planning for better materials selection across the five AIA Materials Pledge impact categories
The AIA 2030 Commitment is an actionable climate strategy that gives us a set of standards and goals for reaching net zero emissions in the built environment. Join more than 1,400 architecture firms who have already made the commitment.
Architects and designers can help improve the health of the planet and people by giving careful thought to how they evaluate products and finishes. The AIA Materials Pledge inspire a positive shift in materials specification. Join more than 300 firms who have made the pledge.
Identify, evaluate, and manage potential risks effectively.
